Topic Summary

Posted by: thaiga

Followers of Wat Dhammakaya are willing to return the 400 million baht in donation given to the temple if the Department of Special Investigation can verify that the money was misappropriated from Klongchan Credit Union Cooperatives by its former management and given to the temple.

Mr Ong-art Thamnita, spokesman of the followers, made the above statement in response to the DSI’s claim of the recent finding of a copy of 400 million baht cheque given to the temple and the suspicion that the money might be stolen from Klongchan Credit Union Cooperatives by its former executives.

He said that the followers would raise fund among themselves and supporters of the temple to compensate the Klongchan Credit Union Cooperatives – a practice that they had done before.

The spokesman then accused the DSI of double-standard practicing for its ferocious pursuit of actions against Phra Dhammachayo while doing nothing with Phra Buddha Isara, the abbot of Wat Or Noi, who joined the People’s Democratic Reform Committee protests against the former Yingluck government.

Ong-art further said that the temple would welcome the media into the temple to find out with their own eyes whether the temple stored arms as alleged or not.

Posted by: thaiga

shouldn't be hard to find, shaven head, orange robe and carrying a sack of gold, unless he's gone to the

Temple drugs party

pic@ dailynews.co.th

Another five novices defrocked when police raided a temple in Nakon Si Thammarat yesterday along with three lay helpers.

Daily News reported villagers were fed up with their antics at the temple, police found a pot containing krathom leaves and five Xanax.All arrested were aged 16 to 17 and were taken to the police station for processing and prosecution.

Posted by: thaiga

Tension runs high today as DSI attempts to search Dhammakaya temple looking for the abbot

Several thousands of the Dhammakaya temple abbot's followers formed human shields inside the temple to protect the controversial monk following report that a special team of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) started to begin what it called the "Krabil 59" operation.

The team of DSI officials in a convoy of more than 10 vehicles, and joined by police from Klong Luang police station, moved out of the Klong Luang station before 9 am today after the Criminal Court issued the DSI the warrant to search the temple for the abbot, Phra Dhammachayo.

It was not immediately known if the DSI team could enter the temple or which gate they will choose to enter the temple as now several thousands of followers have already formed human barricades to shield the abbot.

The temple has nine gates but now all were shut with more barriers being erected.

The gate close to where the abbot is said to be residing is now blocked with two backhoes from outside, while inside green fibre nets were used as curtain to obstruct eye observation from DSI team trying to enter the compound.

Behind the green net curtains lined the followers sitting on the road to keep off DSI’s entry as human shields.

Above the temple are surveillance balloons for followers to observe movements outside.

The abbot is still inside the temple as DSI team, accompanied by hundreds of news journalists, are outside the temple trying to negotiate for peaceful entry by showing the court’s search warrant.

Earlier the temple’s layman spokesman said the temple would be willing to allow the DSI to enter the temple.

But today’s even tighter security around the temple with all gates blocked and security check for vehicles entering the temple mounted has proved the DSI team is not welcomed.

The DSI wanted to enforce the court’s warrant and to convince the abbot to acknowledge the charges so that everything could proceed under the justice system.

Justice Minister Gen Phaiboon Khumchaya earlier warned that any resistance of arrest by the disciples could face legal action.

He also indicated that if the abbot still remains stubborn, and does not acknowledge the charges, bail might not be granted to him if he is arrested.

He said continual defiance of the law would do no good to the abbot as the DSI has to perform its duty to enforce the law.

Posted by: thaiga

The abbot of the Tiger Temple had nothing to do with the alleged abuse and illegal trading of tigers and tiger parts, according to his representatives who have put the blame squarely on temple staff and officials.

The message was conveyed by the temple's lawyer and a former politician at a news conference at the front gate of the temple in Kanchanaburi province on Thursday.

Although the temple had said earlier that abbot Phra Wisutthi Sarathera would brief the media, he was seen only for a moment on a golf cart, feeding animals behind the secured gate of his temple in Sai Yok district before and afterwards.

The 61-year-old abbot, also known as Luang Ta Chan, told Thai and foreign reporters that he was ill. Temple staff prohibited outsiders from entering the temple and took snapshots of reporters.

On behalf of the abbot, former Thai Rak Thai MP Siri Wangboonkerd and lawyer Saiyud Pengboonchu said the abbot had a heart disease and it was inconvenient for him to speak to reporters.

They denied reports that the Tiger Temple or Wat Pa Luangta Maha Bua Yannasampanno was involved in wildlife trafficking.

"The recent issues and bad publicity faced by the temple were attempts to frame the abbot, although the temple's business was run by its foundation and the abbot had nothing to do with it," they said.

The senior monk only offered the temple as a place for tigers to live in and arranged for their food, his representatives said, adding the tigers were supervised by veterinarian Somchai Wisetmongkolchai, who had done the job for 17 years.

The veterinarian revealed the disappearance of three tigers at the temple after he resigned and later the Department of Natural Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation came to illegally take all of the tigers from the temple, the representatives said.

They also mentioned the first seven tigers at the temple that wildlife officials had left there 15 years ago.

They were referring to the first seven tigers the temple had raised in 2001, allegedly at the behest of villagers because they were wounded. Wildlife officials at the time came and decided the big cats needed to be impounded. However, the authorities lacked the means to move or take care of the big cats so they asked the temple to keep them on their behalf. Their numbers had grown to 147 at the last count in 2015.

The temple's representatives said at Thursday's briefing the department should have waited for a court order before moving them as it had been seeking compensation for keeping the tigers.

They claimed the big cats had been well taken care of there. The relocation could become a burden on department officials, caused keepers at the temple to lose their jobs, ended the temple's status as a tourism landmark of Kanchanaburi and tarnished the reputation of the temple, they said.

"The abbot had nothing to do with the carcasses of tigers, tiger cubs and talismans made from tiger parts. He only received reports of tiger births and deaths there and residents at the temple made the talismans," the representatives said, referring to 70 carcasses of cubs and about 2,000 tiger talismans found at the temple.

They also said that the temple's management organised tiger shows to tourists in order to raise money for their care and pay for temple buildings. "The temple could do so because there was no contract between it and the department that prohibited the business."

The tiger skins and talismans belonged to two residents at the temple and they had hidden some of the objects in the abbot's residence to avoid prosecution, said the temple's lawyer.

Three monks of the temple also knew nothing about the objects as two arrested temple workers had invited them to board their vehicles carrying the objects, the representatives said. One of the monks is the secretary to the abbot.

On the allegation that the temple encroached on more than 900 rai of public land, the representatives said responsible officials should conduct an investigation and take legal action against wrongdoers.

Posted by: thaiga

The Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) has found a copy of a document that might link the Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi to wildlife trafficking as police prepare to expand a probe against the temple for allegedly supplying tigers to the black market.

Speaking after handing over the details of the DNP's discoveries at the temple to police, department deputy chief Adisorn Nuchdamrong said authorities have seized the photocopy of a contract involving an exchange of breeding tigers during last week's relocation of the big cats.

The agreement was signed by the abbot of Wat Pa Luang Ta Maha Bua, Phra Wisutthi Sarathera, known as Luang Ta Chan, and people in Laos, Mr Adisorn said without giving further details.

He said the contract indicates the temple may have been involved in the illegal trade of wildlife. The DNP is also waiting for the results of DNA tests on live tigers and dead cubs found at the temple to confirm its suspicions about the temple serving as a transition point for tiger trafficking, he noted.

He said the details submitted to police should help authorities expand the investigation. The department has filed eight complaints with local police against the temple and the abbot.

According to Mr Adisorn, the department wants police to follow up on a case of missing tigers and determine if there are connections with the new case. Three tigers at the temple went missing in December 2014 and authorities' efforts to find them have made no progress.

The DNP suspected illegal activities at the temple following the disappearance of three adult tigers. Dao Nua, or northern star, went missing from his cage on Dec 21, 2014. Five days later, Fa Kram, or blue sky, and Happy -- both three-year-olds -- also vanished. The department's suspicions intensified after it later found that 13 tigers carried no microchips.

The DNP tried to confiscate seven tigers in 2001 after discovering they were being kept at the temple, but later allowed them to stay after the temple said they were well looked after.

The number of tigers at the temple increased over the years to 147. All have since been relocated from the temple in Sai Yok district to two wildlife centres in nearby Ratchaburi province.

Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Chaloemkiat Sriworakhan, who has been assigned to supervise the case, promised Monday to look into the details and connections between the new and old cases.

The officer visited Kanchanaburi Monday afternoon to to follow up on the investigation. The probe is being handled by Kanchanaburi's Sai Yok police.

Also on Monday, Pradap Pothikanchanawat, director of Kanchanaburi's provincial Buddhism office, went to the temple and found some 10 monks staying there.

The Agricultural Land Reform Office (Alro) has announced it would revoke the temple's right to use the land which was allegedly misused. The temple is also accused of encroaching on forest areas covering almost 1,000 rai.

According to DNP official Yanyong Lekhawichit, several charity foundations have been supplying food to other animals that remain at the temple pending relocation.

They said the tigers belonged to Thawat Khachornchaikul, the 68-year-old owner of the property. Mr Thawat was a native of Bangkok and his wife was from Kanchanaburi. They said he had kept the tigers for a decade.

Pol Col Montree Paencharoen, deputy commander of the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division, said during the raid that the property was probably a source of trade in wildlife, especially tigers. It might have also functioned as a transit place and slaughterhouse.

The investigators believed the property was connected to Wat Pa Luangta Maha Bua Yannasampanno, better known as Tiger Temple, in Sai Yok district. DNA tests would prove if the four discovered tigers had anything to do with other tigers, including three lost ones at the temple, the deputy commander said.

The Tiger Temple not only kept tigers for display to tourists but also traded live and butchered tigers aged 1-2 years and talismans made from tiger parts, said Pol Col Montree, who assured the investigators were making progress in the case.

Posted by: thaiga

The abbot of the Tiger Temple will hold a briefing on Thursday as 2,000 wild animals remain at his temple in Kanchanaburi province after all 137 tigers were relocated, according to the temple's legal team.

The lawyers of Wat Pa Luangta Maha Bua Yannasampanno in Sai Yok district of Kanchanaburi told reporters on Monday that the 61-year-old abbot Phra Wisutthi Sarathera, also known as Luang Ta Chan, would return to the temple for a news conference on Thursday to tell his side of the story.

The whereabouts of the abbot has been unknown since the eve of the official raid on his 22-year-old temple now suspected of illegal trade in wildlife and forest encroachment. Earlier, it was reported that he was ill after returning from Indonesia.

The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation earlier filed complaints against the abbot for abusing tigers by putting them on display and shows to entertain tourists.

About 2,000 animals remain at the temple, which is now suffering food shortages. They include boars, horses, various kinds of deer, cattle, and a male lion which appeared depressed and did not eat. The management of the temple has yet to present documents to prove the legal ownership of the animals.

Once a tourist attraction of Kanchanaburi, the Tiger Temple became quiet and more like a Buddhist temple with 15 monks and a novice on Monday.

Local labour officials went to the temple in the morning to gather the profiles of 72 employees of Tiger Temple Co who lost their jobs as the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation took the tigers. The company was set up by the temple so it could hire employees to take care of the big cats.

A team led by deputy national police chief Chalermkiat Srivorakan arrived in Kanchanaburi on Monday to plan future moves after police took over legal actions from the department in relation to the temple.

Fifteen years ago, wildlife authorities left at the temple seven seized tigers with their origin outside Thailand. Later, it fought to retrieve the tigers from the temple management after abuse reports. Their number grew fast from seven and officials suspected attempts to breed them.

The relocation of 137 tigers took place from May 30 to June 4. Officials also found 70 carcasses of tiger cubs, and seized many other protected animals and their carcasses, about 1,000 items of talismans made from tiger parts, and processed wood.

Posted by: thaiga

Bangkok police arrested a 19-year-old temple boy for killing a 58-year-old man and torching his body after their relationship turned sour in less than a month.

Metropolitan police commissioner Sanit Mahathaworn told a news conference at the Prawet police station on Monday that the teenager lived at Wat Kaew Pitak Chaoren Dham in Suan Luang district.

The boy got to know Sompong "Jay Nui" Boonyuen when they exercised at the Suan Luang Rama IX public park in the same district three weeks ago.

The teen moved in to the older man's apartment on Vibhavadhi Rangsit 16 Road in Chatuchak district after the latter bought him an iPhone 6 and promised to give him 30,000 baht a month.

The suspect reportedly confessed to killing Jay Nui because the latter was bossy and forced him to walk beside him at department stores, instead of behind him as he preferred. He also wanted the younger man to eat at the same time.

The last straw came when Jay Nui told him to go to a party with him against his will. They had a fight and the young man stomped the partner's neck. He found out later that his partner had stopped breathing.

The young man then packed his bag, put the body in a suitcase and returned to his temple to burn it.

He reportedly bought two bottles of petrol from a local petrol station and set the body on fire with four used tyres at the deserted garbage-burning yard of the temple at about 2am Sunday.

After burning the body, the young man returned to his monk's residence where he used to live, Pol Lt Gen Sanit said.

A friend of Jay Nui came to the temple later in the same morning but the teenager denied knowing Jay Nui's whereabouts. On Sunday night, the friend reported to police who then found the burnt body.

Phra Prakot, the monk at Wat Kaew Pitak Chaoren Dham, said the young man was his distant grandson and served him at the monk's residence. The young man finished only grade three and was illiterate, the monk said.

Posted by: thaiga

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has promised to grant bail to Wat Dhammakaya abbot Phra Dhammajayo if he acknowledges money laundering charges against him.

DSI chief Paisit Wongmuang pledged Sunday that when the abbot acknowledges the charges, the DSI will not oppose his bail request.

Also, if the abbot is certified by a medical team as unable to visit the DSI due to his ailments, the authorities will visit the temple and inform him of the charges, Pol Col Paisit said.

In a move seen as a compromise for the temple, the DSI said the abbot will secure bail regardless of where he answers the charges, either at the department or the temple.

On Friday, DSI deputy chief Somboon Sarasit, met representatives of Wat Dhammakaya, Phra Theprattanasuthi, who is the chief monk of Pathum Thani province in which Wat Dhammakaya is located, and the director of the National Office of Buddhism (ONAB) to iron out the bail issue.

However, the details were not disclosed until Sunday.

The DSI chief said the abbot's representatives had requested during the Friday meeting that Phra Dhammajayo be granted bail when hearing the charges.

They also said Phra Theprattanasuthi must also join the DSI when meeting the abbot. The temple asked that a medical team from the Phramongkutklao Hospital check the health of the 72-year-old abbot, who disciples insist is seriously ill, at the temple. Earlier, the temple requested a medical team from the Medical Council of Thailand.

The DSI, however, has not decided what medical team will run the health check. The issue is expected to be discussed at a meeting Monday.

A DSI source said police have made good progress in their investigation into the case. Investigators expect to wrap up the probe and send it to prosecutors this week.

The talk on Friday was held after Phra Dhammajayo repeatedly failed to meet officials at the DSI to acknowledge embezzlement charges, citing illness.

The abbot is accused of involvement in money laundering and receiving stolen property worth 1.2 billion baht in connection with the 12-billion-baht Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative embezzlement. He has denied all charges.

Posted by: thaiga

Wat Phra Dhammakaya bills itself as a place where devotees can escape the troubles of the outside world. It's a philosophy the temple's controversial abbot, facing arrest on money laundering charges, appears to have taken quite literally.

Beneath the surface of the sprawling 2,000-rai temple grounds, a secret escape tunnel has been constructed, according to a former high-ranking monk turned whistleblower.

Ostensibly built as an "exercise passage" for the abbot, Mano Laohavanich said the passage runs from a building near the temple's northern perimeter and emerges inside a house in a gated community next door.

"No one knows which house hides the secret door from the tunnel, since no one has seen it before and only Dhammajayo himself has an access to it," Dr Mano told the Bangkok Post Sunday.

Officers from the Department of Special Investigation have been locked in a tense standoff for the past week with around 10,000 of the temple's monks and supporters, who are intent on preventing an impending operation to arrest the abbot.

But there are still many unanswered questions -- the most notable being exactly where authorities will be able to find Phra Dhammajayo, amid rumours he was planning to flee to the US where the Dhammakaya sect has 19 temples.

Dr Mano believes the abbot is still holed up inside the Pathum Thani temple, and that only a small force will be needed to launch a successful raid -- so long as authorities know where to look. And Dr Mano, who has been liaising with the DSI, believes he knows exactly where Phra Dhammajayo will be.

"People may think that it is impossible to raid the temple since it is so big and the DSI might be stopped by his army of worshippers. But let me tell you something: Phra Dhammajayo is not in the main temple area," Dr Mano said.

He said that among the more than 150 buildings that make up the temple complex, there are a handful of important ones that are off-limits to all but the most senior temple personnel, and it was here that the abbot is likely to be hiding.

Dr Mano said the abbot's luxury residence is located on a piece of land separate from the main temple complex. The home is heavily fortified, surrounded on all sides by high walls, atop which up to 500 monks are usually seated.

Dr Mano said Phra Dhammajayo's bedroom is located on the second floor of the main residential building, and is decorated with lavish furniture, big-screen televisions and expensive carpet. He is able to draw back his electric curtains to take in the sunrise each morning, looking out through large windows to a view of an artificial lake, water fountain and roaming peacocks.

Within the same compound, said Dr Mano, lies a round, white building. From the outside it appears nondescript, but on the 16th floor is a "cyber command centre", where a veritable army of 600 temple devotees wage an online war against temple detractors. Their main task is to monitor social media for negative comments about the temple or Phra Dhammajayo, and remove or respond to them, using VPNs to conceal their location.

Not too far from the command centre is a white, windowless two-storey structure, considered the temple's most important building. The building boasts thick, fireproof walls. Inside, Dr Mano said, is where Phra Dhammajayo stashes his vast treasures: cash, gold and important documents such as land title deeds.

Dr Mano said the abbot's long-term ambition is to turn Wat Dhammakaya into a Buddhist version of Mecca or the Vatican.

But that now appears unlikely, as DSI agents prepare to move in and arrest Phra Dhammajayo, who has used claims of ill-health to repeatedly shun meeting with authorities.

Dr Mano, a medical doctor, confirmed that Phra Dhammajayo is genuinely ill, suffering from deep vain thrombosis as a result of his diabetes. But he was baffled by the recommendations of the abbot's doctors, who have reportedly ordered Phra Dhammajayo to avoid walking -- advice used as an excuse for the abbot to skip the DSI meetings.

Dr Mano said an operation would be launched soon. "The plan is still confidential. When and how the DSI will raid the temple is still not confirmed," he said.

Posted by: thaiga

Where's the abbot gone - it was alleged by one of the followers that that abbot left the temple on May 29 and his where abouts remains unknown.

Tiger’s Temple faces eight counts of charges

The Office of Land Reform for Agriculture will ask the National Buddhism Office to revoke the licence of the Tiger’s Temple or Wat Pa Luangta Bua Yannasampanno in Kanchanaburi for the use of almost 400 rai of reform land for the keeping of over 130 tigers and other wild animals.

It was reported that the temple had misused the land for purposes than those specified. Also, it was alleged that the temple had illegally encroached on forested land adjacent to the reform land allowed to be used by the temple.

The last of the 137 tigers was moved out of the temple on Saturday to Khao Pratap Chang and Khao Son wildlife breeding centres in Chom Boeng district of Ratchaburi. But there are still some wildlife species left on the temple ground which include horse, wild boar, buffaloes, antelope and barking deer.

Mr Adisorn Nutdamrong, deputy director of National Parks, Wildlife and Plants Conservation, said that the department would work out how to deal with the protected species still left in the temple as the temple ground is spacious and it is not easy to catch them without harming them.

Charges have so far been lodged against three monks and tow lay followers with Saiyok district police by the department.

Regarding the abbot of the temple, Phra Visutthisarnthera or Luangta Chan, it was alleged by one of the followers that that abbot left the temple on May 29 and his whereabout remains unknown.

However, informed sources said that Luangta Chan would be summoned for questioning. Meanwhile, authorities will expand their investigation to determine whether the temple was involved in the illegal trade of protected wildlife species or not.

Saiyok district police chief Pol Col Bandhit Muangsukham said that eight counts of charges had been lodged against the temple by the Department of National Parks,

Wildlife and Plants Conservation. He disclosed that the temple had illegally encroached on over 1,000 rai of land.

Regarding the 72 employees of Tiger’s Temple Company who were made redundant after the closure of the temple, offices of employment service, social security and workers’ welfare protection have stepped in to help them

Posted by: thaiga

A representative of Phra Dhammajayo has set three conditions, including the immediate granting of bail, for his surrender to answer money-laundering charges, the head of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) said on Saturday.

The conditions were outlined at a meeting held on Friday between the DSI, representatives of Wat Dhammakaya and other Buddhist clergy. No resolution was reached, and another meeting is planned on Monday, said Pol Col Paisit Wongmuang, the DSI chief.

First, the abbot wants to be granted bail right after hearing the charges. However, the issue is complicated for a monk.

Posted by: sowhat

i think in general most of the monks are sound honest people / it's the media that sometimes makes them sound all the same,that's news for them. after all i think there are over 29,000 temples in Thailand, about 200,000 monks and 85,000 novices.

very interesting subject the monkhood, when a monk is ordained it is said that he is reborn into a new life and the past no longer counts, religion in thailand keeps a lot of people together leading an honest life, as some are a little scared of bad KARMA it might bring if they do otherwise.

but remember they are human beings and have the same wants as the ordinary man in the street and sometimes the temptation wins. women are forbidden to touch monks and should not even stay alone in the same room, but remember it takes two to clap hands.

if you are a little scared of karma then just press the applaud button on the right of this post.

Posted by: thaiga

Whats happening here every day we are hearing of monks in the news misbehaving. First the JET SETTING MONK. Yesterday it was reported that a drunk monk tried to take a 4 yr old girl away from her parents to marry her, saying he wanted the child to be his wife. Most of us have heard in the news about whats going on in the tiger temple, report below

Adisorn Noochdamrong (holding a microphone) on Thursday at the Tiger Temple.

Wildlife officials were surprised to discover two tigers previously unknown to them inside the Tiger Temple compound today, along with revelations of jars containing dead baby tigers labeled as energy drinks.

The tigers, both adults and alive, were not among the 147 tigers known to be held at the commercial wildlife complex that authorities began removing Monday, meaning authorities now believe at least 149 live tigers had been in the now shuttered facility, formally known as Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua Yanasampanno, at the beginning of this year.

Although the temple had knowingly held all its tigers in contravention of wildlife laws, it had registered and chipped 147 of them.

Since Monday, 121 tigers have been relocated to wildlife breeding stations in Ratchaburi province, according to Adisorn Noochdamrong of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. All 149 tigers are expected to be in their new facilities by Saturday.

“If it doesn’t rain, we hope we can finish moving all of them today,” Adisorn said Friday afternoon. “Along with the removal, we are also investigating and thoroughly searching the temple.”

Two disciples and one monk were arrested Thursday trying to transport over 1,000 tiger-skin talismans, dozens of jars containing animal parts more out of the temple in a pick-up. They’ve been charged with trading and possessing wildlife, Adisorn said.

“We were prepared for some smuggling. The officers pulled over the vehicle, and as expected, we found more evidence,” Adisorn said.

“We also found a saw for cutting deer horns at a building where monks live,” Adisorn said. “Some bottles containing dead tigers were labeled “energy booster.”

This week’s raid came after several previous efforts to remove the tigers were stymied by resistance from the temple, which in two decades’ time has built an immensely profitable business selling access for tourists to touch and take selfies with the wild cats.

Long-held accusations the temple mistreated and even trafficked the tigers gained steam in February 2015 when one of its veterinarians broke with the group and went to the authorities with accusations it had sold at least three of them.

A tiger pelt found Thursday at the Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi province.

Posted by: thaiga

A 53-year-old drunken monk was beaten by an angry crowd after he forcibly took a four-year-old girl from her grandmother in Na Duang district on Thursday night, saying he wanted the child to be his wife.

The assault took place in front of Wat Santisukharam at Huay Paduk village in tambon Na Dok Tai of Na Duang district, said Pol Col Chatthong Thurathong, chief of Na Duang police station. The incident was reported around 10pm on Thursday.

Police rushed to the temple and found the monk, had been apprehended by residents. The monk, who was under the influence of alcohol, sustained facial injuries and bruising to his body, inflicted by the angry crowd, Thai media reported on Friday.

The mother of the rescued child, told police that he went to her house on Thursday night while her daughter was playing with the grandmother and other relatives in front of the house.

The monk suddenly grabbed the girl’s hands and hugged her. The relatives became angry and asked the monk to leave.

Instead of ceasing his action, the monk snatched the girl from her grandmother and ran off with her in his arms toward the temple, The mother came out from the house after hearing the noise. She shouted for help from neighbours.

The monk fell to the ground while running. Relatives tried to take the girl back from him, but he refused to let go of her. The gathering crowd became angry and people began hitting him, while others called the police.

The girl had minor injuries when finally relesed from the monk's hands. he told the girl’s grandmother that he wanted the child to be his wife, Thai media reported.

The monk was defrocked by the temple abbot and held in police custody for legal action.